EDMONTON - It was third time lucky for Bruno, the basset hound-mix, when it came to finding his forever home.

Brought to the Edmonton Humane Society shelter as a stray in December 2012, the two-year-old pooch was in foster care for less than a month when he was adopted. Within weeks, he was returned to the shelter, the family who adopted him citing his hyper behaviour, and his incessant barking.

It didn’t take long before he was adopted again, but, as before, the adorable mutt wound up back on the shelter doorstep a few weeks later, the would-be owners citing the same issues.

Back he went into foster care, but this time with an EHS staff member, who used a combination of crate-training and behaviour modification techniques to address the problems his temporary keepers had identified. In March, he was adopted again — and this time it stuck.

“Sometimes it’s about finding the right fit,” says EHS spokeswoman Shawna Randolph, “and using our resources to making sure that happens.”

Randolph says adopting a pet from a shelter doesn’t necessarily mean a happily-ever-after ending the first time around, but that’s always the goal.

Pets get returned to the EHS shelter for a variety of reasons, chief among them behavioural issues.

During January and July of this year, 130 of the 2,350 cats/kittens that were adopted were ultimately returned to the shelter, or 5.5. per cent. The return rate for dogs/puppies during that same period, meanwhile, was 12.5 per cent, with 182 of the 1,505 adopted animals being returned.

Randolph says the adoption process isn’t perfect, even with due diligence on the part of the prospective pet owners and the shelter. Oftentimes, animals behave differently in a shelter environment than they do in a home. The dog or cat that’s calm and relaxed in the shelter can become nervous in a home, and vice versa. It also depends on the people and other pets in the home, and how their personalities match.

And sometimes it’s a case of time and patience.

“You can’t really know the true personality and behaviour of a pet until after a few months,” she says. “It’s like starting a new relationship; there’s a honeymoon stage where you’re getting to know one another. It’s the same with a pet.”

With some returns, people realize the pet they’ve chosen just isn’t what they expected, even though they’ve done extensive research beforehand. Pets react differently in different environments; an animal that may not work out in one home may be the perfect fit with someone else. That’s why the EHS has no limits when it comes to its return policy.

“We want to make sure that the animal is given a chance,” she says.

Returns can sometimes be unavoidable; whether it’s the costs associated with caring for the pet, the time commitment required, the potential for people to develop allergies to specific types of animals or a mismatch with the owner’s lifestyle.

The EHS’s adoption process is extensive. Every human member of the family has to meet the animal beforehand. If the family is adopting a dog and already has a dog, they have to meet, too.

A lot of ground is covered during the counselling and interview portion of the process, too. Despite every precaution, it doesn’t always work out.

“And we understand that,” says Randolph. “If it doesn’t work, then bring the animal back to us. We will not judge you. There’s a good chance that that animal will find a perfect fit with someone else.”

The EHS has a free behaviour hotline service — 780-491-3521 — to help with potential pet issues, regardless of whether the animal was adopted from their shelter or not. It also offers clinics and classes on a multitude of behavioural concerns, which are open to everyone.

“We always try to be there to help people,” says Randolph. “We’re more than just an animal shelter — we want people to keep their pets, so owner retention is something we try to focus on.”